Movie Fantasies In Real Life example essay topic

512 words
History 2057 Section 22 March 7, 2004 Short Paper Assignment #223-1: Motion Picture Diaries: This document reading that I chose to write my short paper assignment on is a collection of diary entries from three different young people from three distinctly different back rounds. Yet, this primary source shows that there is one common link between the three of them and that is their love of movies and the early motion pictures that seemed to captivate Americans from every walk of life. All three of these individuals obviously have had their lives impacted by the movie industry to such a level that feel the need to write about it in their diaries where their personal information is shared. But, in order to understand this we must look at our own lives and that pivotal moment when something new and exciting entered our life and we just thought that whatever it was was greater than sliced bread. The only difference is that the people and especially the young adults of this era were experiencing something unlike anyone had ever seen before and as a result it had enormous impacts. Movie stars were born and their first fans appeared in the warm glow of the mid afternoon picture.

People of this era worshipped their movie stars. They dressed like them, walked like them, talked like them, started to smoke like they did; all attempts to imitate their favorite star in ultimate hopes of being like them one day. All three of these individuals have their story to tell about how they tried to live out part of a movie they saw in their real lives, whether it was through a passionate kiss or a runaway with a forbidden lover. These stories also make it evident to the reader the kind of impact these motion pictures had on people of many different ages.

It was a young girl's fantasy being portrayed on a screen and therefore, she knew without doubt that her dreams would come true just as they had for the woman on screen. Through these writings the reader can see these people attempting to live out these movie fantasies in real life and sometimes with success. These entries are first-hand accounts of the effects of movies on this generation and offers a bit of insight as to why we view movies and movie stars the way we do today. As it turns out, it has always been that way. After reading these entries, it is evident that for the girls, it was the love scenes and the heart-felt romance that got their blood flowing. And strangely enough, the entry by the young man also mentioned how he wanted to fall in love like in the movies and 'live happily ever after'.

Considering that one girl was white, one was Swedish, and the young man was black and they were all captivated by the same allure of romance and love that still touches the hearts of movie-goers today.